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88 Bill Smith

Name
Bill Smith
Position
Forward
Class
Senior
Hometown (Last School)
Walton, KY
Ht
6'5"
Wt
200
Seasons
1955-56, 1956-57, 1957-58
Birthday
February 17, 1936

Bill Smith was born William Ronald Smith on February 17, 1936, in Walton, Kentucky, to James S. Smith and Beulah Smith.

Smith was a standout at Walton-Verona High, where the 6-5 ace received All-State honorable mention for three successive seasons and tallied 1,805 points over a four-year span. He averaged 22 points a game in his senior season.

Smith played for the Wildcats from 1955 to 1958 under legendary coach Adolph Rupp. He was part of the team that won the 1958 NCAA Championship. During his college career, Smith was known for his hard work and dedication to the game. Here are some highlights:

  • 1954-55 Season:  As a freshman at Kentucky, he scored 76 points in 12 games.
  • 1955-56 Season: Played in 11 games, averaging 1.6 points per game.
  • 1956-57 Season: Played in 8 games, averaging 1.8 points per game.
  • 1957-58 Season: Played in 5 games, averaging 0.4 points per game.

Walter Cornett, of Glendale, Kentucky, is the owner and operator of Walter’s Wildcat World. He founded WildcatWorld.com in 1998 making it one of the oldest Kentucky basketball fan sites in operation today.

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On This Day in UK Basketball History

On March 19, 1966, in one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history, top-ranked UK, featuring “Rupp’s Runts,” loses in the NCAA Championship game, 72-65, to Texas Western.

 

On March 19, 1966, Pat Riley joined the 1,000-point club.  He did it in 54 games.

 

On March 19, 1989, in the wake of an NCAA investigation, Eddie Sutton resigns as UK basketball coach.

 

Wildcats Born on This Date

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